The College and Career Readines and Success Center closed on September 30,2019 because the grant cycle for the U.S. Department of Education Comprehensive Centers ended. The information on this website will no longer be updated. Visit www.air.org for updates on college and career readiness.
This policy brief by the National Education Policy Center discusses the characteristics, benefits, and challenges of Linked Learning, a school framework in which academic content is integrated with career and technical education (CTE), and the two content areas are contextualized in real-world situations.
This brief, sponsored by Alliance for Excellent Education, Civic Enterprises, and the Data Quality Campaign, discusses the importance of using data at various levels within the education system. The authors describe the use to of data in identifying students at risk of dropping out as well as in identifying if students are college and career ready. The brief also identifies challenges, including making sure that data is accessible while protecting privacy, and linking data across systems.
This resource offers strategies to help make small learning communities effective. Though the brief acknowledges that the structural framework of small learning communities in not in and of itself enough to catalyze school improvement, it describes strategies for rigorous instruction and support that can be paired with small learning communities to help improve high schools.
This policy brief, sponsored by ARISE Coalition, documents the results of the review of about 200 individualized education plans (IEPs) for students with disabilities demonstrating noncompliance. The author provides recommendations that include identifying the diploma type sought in the transition plan, disseminating information about transition and post-secondary programs to students with disabilities and their families; and teaching self-advocacy skills. This resource may be especially relevant to policy makers and special educators.
This issue brief, sponsored by the Alliance for Excellent Education, discusses using multiple pathways to prepare students for college and career. The author examines the effects of California’s multiple pathways programs on high school students, concluding that multiple pathways can increase high school graduation rates, engagement, achievement, and college and career readiness. The author also provides recommendations that include addressing federal laws, funding stream structures, and policies that inhibit multiple pathway programs.
This issue brief from the Alliance for Excellent Education addresses the need to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to help improve the college and career readiness of all high school students, especially those at the lowest-performing high schools.
This policy brief, sponsored by the Alliance for Excellent Education, discusses the need for highly effective teachers. The author examines the effects of highly effective teachers on all high school students and provides policy recommendations that include: supporting the adoption of the Common Core State Standards; creating standards that define quality teaching; supporting the development of teacher performance assessments; developing human capital systems; and using longitudinal data systems to track teacher and student data.
This policy brief, sponsored by the Alliance for Excellent Education, discusses teacher evaluation systems. The author highlights two existing teacher evaluation systems and offers federal policy recommendations for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), including establishing college- and career- readiness as the mission of K-12 education, establishing standards for teacher competency and developing robust assessment systems that judge teachers against the established standards.
This policy brief from the Alliance for Excellent Education discusses the the role of school leaders in turning around low performing high schools. The author examines the effects of school leadership on all high school students and provides federal policy recommendations that include embracing high expectations, supporting development of school leader preparation programs, and replacing ineffective federal improvement systems.
This issue brief from the Alliance for Excellent Education addresses the use of technology and online learning as a means for improving the current U.S. education system. The authors examine three major challenges facing the education system: 1) the growing demand for global skills; 2) projected long-term funding deficits; and 3) shortage of quality teachers.
